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Queens · Neighborhood guide

Middle Village

Middle Village’s name recalls its position on the old route between Williamsburgh and Jamaica. Juniper Valley Park preserves a burial ground amid recreation space, while St. Margaret remains a working parish with roots in the nineteenth-century German-speaking community. Choose a park visit or a scheduled worship service.

Open map
Planting beds, picnic tables and lawns at Juniper Valley Park.Juniper Valley Park

Understanding Middle Village

An 1882 account places Middle Village midway along the Williamsburgh and Jamaica turnpike and describes its German-speaking settlement and cemetery businesses. The diocese records St. Margaret as a German parish from the mid-nineteenth century. These are historical accounts, not descriptions of today’s population.

The City assembled parkland from the former bog and adjoining parcels in the 1930s and 1940s. Works Progress Administration workers added paths, planting and recreation facilities. The park's name recalls the juniper and cedar that grew in the swamp.

Places to explore

  • Juniper Valley Park

    Middle Village

    Choose a lawn, path, track or recreation area. The present park was built through substantial changes to a former bog. Check current Parks information for the facility you want to use.

  • Pullis Farm Cemetery

    Near North 63rd Avenue and 81st Street

    Look for the surviving farm burial ground, dating to at least 1846. Respect the cemetery enclosure; no open-gate schedule or interior access has been established.

  • St. Margaret Roman Catholic Church

    66-05 79th Place

    Observe the parish exterior from public space or join a service using the current parish schedule. It is a working place of worship. Contact the parish about a visit and access needs; do not assume all-day sightseeing entry.

Planning a visit

For Juniper Valley Park, choose the cemetery, lawn or recreation area first and check the current park map for an entrance. Check MTA service to that destination or to St. Margaret.

Follow current park signs and conditions. No complete step-free route between these destinations is established.

Sources and visitor information